


Final Time

by spaghettiluver



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Medical Trauma, Meta, Realization, Some Humor, Truth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 06:47:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16383329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaghettiluver/pseuds/spaghettiluver
Summary: Nobody really knows when the final time they see someone will come to pass. Nobody really wants to know either. Every new relationship will have that time, but Chat Noir can only hope that when it comes to Marinette that day will be far off. Marinette herself can only dread the day her world will change forever and what that may mean to her and to Paris.





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost of the original story from fanfic.net as a test-run for my AOOO account. I am the original author and will keep uploads consistent between this and the fanfic.net version. Chapters 1-5 were originally written between December 2015 and September 2017, with Chapter 6 being new and written October 2018. I still plan to finish this story as well as retouch the weaker writing of the past chapters.  
> Feel free to review, kudos, lambaste, or just straight up shit on me. I think community interaction is the greatest part of the fanfic-writing process and I can't wait to meet you all!

Blue. White. Red.

These were the colors that every Frenchman knew since childhood, adorning the flag that flew over the country's bounties. But if you were to ask a Parisian the colors of France they might just tell you something else.

Red and black.

Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Few, if any, knew where these heroes had come from. Appearing almost randomly the duo had stopped many a threat to the safety of the city. In their battles against the "Akuma" Ladybug and Chat Noir fought tirelessly to bring peace to Paris and her people. Errant police officers, unhinged curators, fiendish copycats and distraught teenagers were just a few of the threats the pair had dispelled. There were a few phrases the populace had come to love hearing from their heroes. "Lucky charm" meant that the battle had truly just begun, and a cry of "Miraculous Ladybug" meant that the city was to be restored to a peaceful state. The people loved it when their Lady said these things. Was it no wonder they thought of red and black? That beautiful red suit with black spots?

No. Wasn't the black for someone else?

Ladybug was beloved. Even Chat Noir himself would say as much. There was nothing wrong about the acclaim she had. All those battles were won due to her, after all. But even when presented with such heroics, jealousy was still possible, right?

What if Chat Noir was jealous of Ladybug?

Am I jealous?

These were the thoughts that distracted Chat Noir long enough to trip during his nightly prowl.

* * *

Adrien Agreste was just a normal boy. Honest. Sure he came from a very well off family, was a model, and was on a constant quest for his father's approval, but it wasn't like he had a unique destiny or super powers. That was all Chat Noir.

Okay, so maybe they were one and the same. Dissociation, while effective for some problems, doesn't particularly help when one loses control while hurdling through the city at top speed. As Chat, Adrien usually did a good job of landing on his feet. He was finding it excessively difficult to do so after tripping over a loose roof tile, however.

He tried his best to diffuse the impact, but Adrien still landed with a dull thud on a small roof terrace. The landing was less painful than he had expected, although it did feel rather…warm?

His face felt odd, like it had just been dipped in honey. The taste of iron in his mouth drove home the source of the feeling.

"Dammit. Is my nose bleeding?"

Behind him a small voice squeaked, "I'd say so."

Adrien whipped around. Before him sat a girl sporting two pig tails tied with red bands and holding a sketchpad. Supplementing the moon's light was a small lantern resting on a glass table. The glow of the lantern cast an almost ethereal light on her. It would have made quite a stunning picture if not for the dumbfounded expression on the girl's face, a mix between utter confusion, panic, and mild amusement.

Adrien couldn't help but let a surprised "Marinette?" escape his lips before clamping his mouth shut. Would Chat Noir know her name?

Placing down the sketchpad and adopting a more quizzical expression, she got out of the chair and stooped to his level. "Is there something going on?"

Something going on? That's right! Chat Noir had once assisted Marinette with a possessed classmate of hers. She had been surprisingly expressive throughout the ordeal, nothing like how she interacted with Adrien Agreste. Adrien recalled that as Chat he had been quite flirtatious with her. Was there a nickname he used? He should really keep a notebook handy.

"Chat Noir?"  
"Purely a social visit Princess. I do love catching up with the young ladies of Paris."

Marinette took on a more quizzical expression. "Nice of you to drop in, but could you pick a less squeamish way of doing so?"

Adrien grinned at this, which sent more blood spilling over his lips. "I hope this doesn't mat my fur, I'm not the biggest fan of baths."

Adrien thought he heard a groan escape from the young girl. "Just pinch your nose for me, okay? I'll be back," and without even a glance backwards she disappeared through a trap door into her room below.

Adrien didn't know what to do with himself at this point. She said she'd be back so he might as well wait around. Truthfully, he was interested in the situation unfolding before him. Despite her being a kind, energetic girl in class, Adrien never really interacted with Marinette in a halfway decent capacity. Whatever he knew about her was whatever Alya told him and whatever disinformation Chloé forced on him. He couldn't help but be curious; he was a cat after all.

Looking around his surroundings, Adrien breathed in the night air. Her terrace smelled like iron…wait a minute. Adrien brought his right hand to his face, causing a distressingly large amount of blood to rub onto his gloved arm. The nosebleed was a tad worse than he had thought. No wonder Marinette had described him as "squeamish" earlier.

A creaking noise alerted Adrien to the return of his classmate. Coming through the hatch, Marinette was balancing a tray of assorted cookies, two mugs, a thermos and a first aid kit. Once she had finished navigating the terrace entrance Marinette set the tray upon the table.

"Take a seat kitty."  
Adrien was taken slightly aback by her authoritarian tone. It was far off from her typical babbling. Adrien stood up and made his way towards one of the chairs, eyeing the tray along the way. Was this for him?

Marinette began to undo the latch on the kit as soon as he came to rest in the chair. It looked as if she had packed some paper towels and a squirt bottle into the kit along with the standard gauze. He wondered if she had just done that or if Marinette placed the towels and bottle in earlier as a manner of precaution.

"Oh Princess! You shouldn't have! I'm feline fine right now."

Marinette stuck out her lower lip. "Well you don't look fine." Her voice was rather light and carefree, but Chat couldn't but hear slight worry in it.

"Never judge a cat by his appearances ma chère, I'm more interested in these treats you've brought me." Adrien began to reach for the tray's other contents but before he laid a single finger on the cookies Marinette swatted his hand away.

The girl giggled. "No treats until I'm through with you kitty."

With no other options presented to him, Adrien sat still as Marinette brought a paper towel to his face. It wasn't from a very expensive brand and was truthfully quite rough, but Marinette's touch was so gentle that Adrien barely noticed. While his classmate was focused on his nose Adrien began to analyze her face. He had never taken the time to really look at her before; most of his concentration was spent on trying to understand what she was saying. Now that he had the chance to truly examine her he couldn't help but notice her sparkling eyes and pursed lips. He delicate features and complexion were a treat to the eyes. Adrien couldn't believe how dainty Marinette was now that he was maybe six inches from her face. Before he could take note of any other details she retracted the paper towel and leaned back in her chair.

Marinette's small fingers reached for another paper towel and the bottle. Wetting the new towel she brought it to Adrien's face. He inhaled sharply once he felt the coolness of the damp towel but quickly brought it under control so as to not alarm Marinette. Once she had finished cleaning his face she brought a dry towel to his face to wipe away the water that remained on his skin.

"Looks like the bleeding stopped. You're lucky you didn't break your nose Chat Noir." Marinette closed the first aid kit and set it upon the floor, placing the used paper towels on the lid.

Adrien cast another glance at the tray. There was quite an assortment of cookies on it. Chocolate chip, sugar, macaroons; he would've been grateful for just one of them. He was distracted when Marinette reached out for the thermos and mugs. Unscrewing the thermos lid she poured the pair generous amounts of hot chocolate.

"Oh Princess, don't tell me this was all an excuse to have a picnic date with me."

Marinette shot him a rather tired looking expression, as if she had heard the line before. "When it comes to dates there's another boy on my mind."

"Are you sure I can't change your mind Princess?"

"You simply don't rate kitty cat, it's no fault of your own."

"It seems you think highly of this mystery tomcat," said Adrien as he took a bite from a sugar cookie. "Whoa! This is felomenal!"

Marinette unconsciously crushed a macaroon in her hand. "That was the worst pun I've ever heard! It was way too awkward!"

"Forget about the wording," purred Adrien, "did you make these?"

"Well, my parents ARE bakers after all."

"That's kinda disappointing. I thought I was eating a fair maiden's cookies."

Marinette's face turned a cute shade of red. "I'll have you know, Chat, that they only made the macaroons."

"So these cookies are a Marinette original then? I'm honored. You'd make a purrfect bride."

"Flattery will get you nowhere kitty. I bet a stray like you would be content with eating food off the floor."

"I think I understand," said Adrien as he crossed his arms. "It's a common misconception Princess. Lots of people make the same mistake, so don't feel bad. This is only a cat costume."

Now there was a look that he enjoyed. Pure exasperation. He always got a kick out of seeing it on Ladybug's face. Nice to see he could induce it within others as well. Adrien winked at Marinette, "I could take it off if you'd prefer."

"Do you flirt this hard with every girl you come across Chat?"

Flirting? Chat Noir was a smooth customer to be sure, but he never saw himself as a huge flirt. "I'm just showing you common courtesy Princess."

"I don't think I want to live in a world where your behavior is considered a common courtesy kitty. Perhaps you watched too many cartoons as a child to have a grasp on reality."

Adrien could only imagine what Nino would say if he was around. Ouch dude! Sick burn! While it had been a little insulting, Adrien had no problem playing along with Marinette's comments. "Pepé Le Pew was an idol of mine."

"I suppose that's where your cat fetish came from."

The unexpected comment caused Adrien to inhale the cocoa he had been bringing to his lips, causing a round of coughing. He couldn't help but notice the smug grin on Marinette's face as he struggled valiantly against his body's convulsions.

After a good thirty seconds his body had seemingly calmed itself. Trying to play it off, Adrien brought another cookie to his mouth, only to spray crumbs all over the ground with one final cough. As he stared at the ground dejectedly he could hear Marinette's quite poor attempts to suppress her laughter. He may have even heard a *snork* at one point.

As the night wore on the collection of snacks slowly diminished until there were none remaining. Adrien knew that he would regret staying out so late, but spending this time with Marinette had certainly been worth such a price. He'd have to do this again sometime.

"Well then Princess, I think I'll be off," said Adrien, taking note of the tired look in Marinette's eyes.

Marinette yawned lazily. "That's just as well kitty. I was about to suggest you let me get to bed myself."

"I expect to be invited back sometime. This night was simply feline."

"I wouldn't have a problem with that as long as we ban some select cat puns."

Adrien stood up abruptly, perhaps too abruptly of the sudden bout of dizziness was any indication. Pausing a moment to get his bearings, Adrien took a step towards Marinette and got down on one knee. A quick kiss on the hand would make for a signature Chat Noir goodbye.

"Oh…Chat?"

"Yes Princess?"

"Do you want another nosebleed?"


	2. The First Incident

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Going through this I've come to realize that I've been mixing terms from the different localizations of the series. I tend to lean more towards the French and Korean versions, hence names like Chat Noir, Dislocoeur and the usage of the expression "Miraculous Healing Light." Let me know if my amateurish welding is bothering any of you.

School wasn't typically something that a Parisian teen would come to enjoy, but for Adrien Agreste the opposite was true. Sure it was work, but so was the rest of his life. Between a constant stream of photoshoots and his father's need for decorum at all times Adrien had found himself sorely wishing for a reprieve. Public school offered him just that, an opportunity to interact with people his age in a normal fashion. There were long nights of homework and tough examinations, but those were stresses typical to someone his age.

Most importantly, however, were the friends that awaited him every day. Nino, Alya, Chloé (okay maybe not her)…they had given him the fondest memories of his life. And Marinette…what about her? She had won his father's hat competition and the class' approval as Class President, but truthfully, Adrien knew very little about her. Her parents were bakers. He knew this from the Parents Day presentation. Chloé hated her, that didn't take a genius to figure out. She was half-Chinese. But when it came to actually knowing her…

Perhaps that was Chat's job. His time spent at Marinette's last night had been unexpected but in no way unwelcome. There were certainly many Chat Noir fans but none had ever offered to patch him up and feed him homemade cookies before. In hindsight maybe he should've expected such kindness from Marinette. He still remembered how she stood up for Mylene when the class was filming the movie and when Marinette had been the only one to pursue Alix prior to the Timebreaker incident.

Holding true to his feline identity, Adrien was quite curious and acutely aware of the pigtailed girl sitting behind him. There was a dull droning in the background which Adrien could barely identify as a lesson on French literature. He didn't think much of it when the noise suddenly stopped.

Adrien felt an elbow dig into his side. Nino was trying to get his attention, but when Adrien turned to meet his friend's gaze he was met with an awkward eye roll telling him to look towards the front of the room. Changing his gaze, Adrien's confused stare was met by the dull eyes of the class instructor.

"Mr. Agreste," droned the figure in a matter which lent the room a claustrophobic air, "an example of contemporary French literature please."

Contemporary? Adrien really ought to have known the definition of the word but at the moment he was coming up a tad short. It wasn't a very Marinette related question.

"I'm waiting Mr. Agreste." Oh great. Mr. Agreste. This wasn't going well.

"Arsène Lupin."

Adrien was slightly confused as to the reception of his answer. On one hand, the instructor's right eye had relaxed its stare. On the other, Adrien could swear he had seen the left twitch violently.

"I was expecting something a little farther along the century but your answer was passable," said the instructor, bringing a hand to his chin. "Although the Lupin stories are a particular weakness of mine, I must admit."

At least the instructor was pleased. Adrien, however, was struck with the sinking feeling that he was about to listen to a rather dry tangent on crime novels until the lunch period.

* * *

Lunchtime was a sacred time in France. From 12:00 to 2:00 the country came to a stop; plenty of time to rest and relax. At least that's what Adrien wanted to be doing. Instead of engaging with his classmates and having a laugh he found himself sitting in the corner of the locker room indulging the appetite of a certain night colored kwami.

"Have you ever had American? I must admit my curiosity, but I'd never lower myself to consuming such overly processed cheese. No, no, camembert is where my heart lies."

"I've started to dislike the stuff. Smelling it on you constantly has taken its toll."

"That's the thing with you humans. You always seem to find a way to get fed up with a good thing. In all the time I've spent on this Earth I've never gotten sick of camembert."

The sunlight filtering through the windows was a heavy temptation. Adrien wanted nothing more than to leave Plagg to his own dietary devices, but was reluctant to leave his kwami alone. "Considering your millennia of service camembert has been a fairly recent invention."

Plagg, who had been stuffing his face with great vigor, was given pause by Adrien's tone. "Your words are as sharp as aged cheddar. What are you implying?"

"Simply that the only reason you still enjoy camembert is because it's still new to you."

A ripple went through Plagg's body, almost as if the kwami had been suddenly exposed to the cold. Adrien figured that the emotional turmoil Plagg was experiencing had to be fairly serious seeing as how the black sprite hadn't taken a bite of cheese for close to ten seconds.

"Spare me Adrien," croaked Plagg. "If my love of camembert is but a temporary flame then your affections for Ladybug amount to but a spark."

Adrien would have bristled at such a remark in the past. He kept his composure this time though, partly out of fear of making too much noise with his kwami out and partly because he had become desensitized to Plagg's teasing. "Forgive me if I don't take your misinformed words as fact. I don't think a creature that perfectly represents the sin of gluttony such as you could ever take notice of the subtle nuances that love entails."

"You can act high and mighty if you really feel the need to. I saw you making goo goo eyes at that fine piece from last night. I forget, is France a polyamorous culture?"

"My main concern is how you managed to dredge up a word as large as 'polyamorous,' but I'd also appreciate it if you didn't refer to my classmate as a 'hot piece.'"

A chuckle emanated from Plagg, radiating seemingly from the very core of his being. It was slightly unsettling. "I said 'fine piece.' You're the one who thinks she's hot."

Adrien felt a blush creeping up his face. He wanted to argue more but repressed the urge. His slip of the tongue had cost him the match.

"Those cookies looked delicious though. Not as good as cheese of course, but I wouldn't mind having a bite or two. Do me a favor and swing by tonight to get me some samples."

Plagg's revelry was interrupted by a noisy commotion outside the school. A loud howl penetrated through the walls to dominate Adrien's hearing. He had a sinking feeling about what the source of the noise was. Looking through the window confirmed his fears.

"Plagg…"

"What is it?"

"Claws out."

* * *

Traffic had ground to a halt in front of the school. The street was an auditory hellscape; irate drivers, impatient to return to the workplace after lunch, were laying on their horns as if their lives depended on it. The source of the congestion did not seem to take much notice. Rather than show a sign of regret that thing seemed to be reveling in the attention. Certainly it was good at drawing attention, seeing as how it was seven feet tall with green fur and the features of an anthropomorphized cartoon wolf.

A deep and resonant voice emitted from the maw of the green akuma. "Now, now ladies and gentlefolk there's no need to panic. We can all take the time to appreciate me together."

The drivers continued to honk, paying no mind to the akuma.

"My parents didn't understand me…but this beautiful wolf you see…this is the true me."

From his vantage point at the top of the school Adrien was scoping out the new threat as Chat Noir. He wanted nothing more than to jump in and end the conflagration but was given pause. He would need Ladybug's help; only she could purify the akuma.

His head turned in response to a light landing behind him, although the action was unnecessary; he knew the source. It was a beautiful girl sporting two ridiculously cute pigtails and a red face mask. Her lithe body was hugged by a red suit adorned with black dots. Adrien did not know the identity of the material she was sporting; only that it was incredibly flexible and resilient. While the girl let her left arm hang limply against her body her right was at rib-level, casually twirling a yo-yo which left behind a brilliant pink aura.

Ladybug had arrived on the scene.

"Ooh My Lady!" exclaimed Chat rather enthusiastically. "It truly is a blessing to see you today."

Ladybug's features twisted into a bemused grin. "I seem to recall hearing that one the last time Chat Noir. Perhaps you're simply going through the motions today?"

Adrien let a mock expression of shock cross his features. "Perish the thought My Lady. If you would only listen, your humble Chat Noir will improvise a song for you at once."

"While that sounds like a fine way to pass the time, I'd rather get our business concluded first."

"Your dedication to duty astounds me Ladybug. Do you have any thoughts on the situation?"

Ladybug made her way to the ledge to take a look at the akuma. While the action seemed rather normal Adrien had been around the superheroine long enough to realize that her body language was quite lazy today. The way she casually rested one leg on the ledge and let her eyes roll over the scene gave off an air of indifference.

"I don't know why I even bothered to bring my good yo-yo today," she sniffed.

"You have more than one?"

"Of course. They're a dollar each at the corner store."

"I have one that retracts itself. Very handy. If you want I could go fetch it for you."

Ladybug shrugged her shoulders. "Let's just get this over with; I have some things to do today." Leaving no time for Chat to even understand what she had said she threw her yo-yo into the air. "Lucky Charm!"

An oversized dog-catcher's net landed in Ladybug's waiting hands. "Lucky Charm already?" inquired the black cat.

"We always resort to it anyways. Might as well save some time."

Adrien was confused. "But My Lady…we don't even know where the akuma is!"

Adrien heard…a sigh. Was she sighing at him? "Kitty, take a look at the doggy's neck."

The neck? Straining his eyes Adrien took a closer look. Between the tufts of fur he could make out something brown. "A collar?"

"That's where we'll find our akuma."

"You seem purrfectly confident about this. What if the akuma is somewhere else?"

"Chat, the wolf isn't wearing anything else."

* * *

The plan was simple: Chat Noir would distract the doglike monster as a cat should and Ladybug would capture it with the net. It was so simple, in fact, that Adrien was slightly concerned it wouldn't work. He trusted Ladybug, however, and jumped down to street level to confront the green beast.

"Meow? What's this? I didn't think Looney Tunes was on today," taunted Adrien.

The wolf turned to face Adrien. It looked much larger up close and Adrien would have felt quite nervous if it weren't for the monster's rather comical features. "Forgive me," pleaded Adrien, "you're more of a Balto than a Sam Sheepdog."

Adrien could hear a growl make its way from the throat of the wolf. "You…you don't understand me either do you?"

"Why would I? Compared to my glorious cat getup your cheap fur suit doesn't even rate."

The wolf didn't say anything more. It simply charged at Adrien, mouth open and ready to mangle the obnoxious cat. Adrien stood his ground. The longer he waited to dodge the more off balance the akuma would be after the initial attack. If Ladybug wanted to end this quickly then Adrien was more than happy to oblige her. After closing half the distance between itself and Adrien the akuma fell to all fours and lunged. Adrien was not prepared for the burst of speed. He leapt with mere inches to spare, escaping the terror of the wolf's jaws. The green monster rotated mid-lunge in response, and in doing so, was able to slash Adrien's right shin with its claws.

"Ah-!" Adrien stifled a gasp of pain. Making such a sound would only distract the blur of red and black that was about to come down on the akuma.

The heavy net reached the ground, tangling the akuma in the process. With one deft movement Ladybug removed the collar and snapped it in half. A black butterfly burst from the destroyed collar, attempting to escape the wrath of the speckled girl before it. Before Adrien had a chance to get in a quip the akuma was in Ladybug's yo-yo. "Bye-bye pretty butterfly," she said as she slid her finger across the surface to release the purified akuma.

"I think I prefer your captures to be a tad more Rube Goldberg-esque," quipped Chat, standing with one hand covering his slashed shin.

Ladybug was sporting a rather sour expression. Following her gaze Adrien noticed it lead back to his right shin. He sheepishly rotated his body so that she could only see his left outer leg.

"Miraculous Healing Light!" shouted Ladybug. The net burst into a swarm of magical ladybugs that moved out into the city to repair the damage caused by the akuma. Adrien was relieved when a group of them swarmed around his injured leg. A warm feeling overtook his body and dissipated along with the wound. It was as if the gash had never happened.

Adrien was brought out of his reverie over the instantaneous healing by an icy stare from Ladybug. "What were you thinking Chat?!" There was anger in her voice, mixed with a dash of a fear.

"Me? I was just following the plan."

"You were supposed to distract the akuma, not dodge at the last second!"

"My Lady-"

"Spare me the cutesy titles right now!" interrupted Ladybug. "Why did you do that?

Adrien rested a hand on her shoulder. "The closer the dodge the more his balance would be thrown-"

"I know why Chat! I know why you did it, but not why!" cried Ladybug.

Adrien was beginning to grow frustrated with his partner. He didn't understand. "I don't know what you mean."

The girl's gaze dropped to the ground, and in that moment she looked more like a scared teenager than a revered hero. It was only for that moment, but the image imprinted itself in Adrien's brain. "I-," her voice was low now, the anger had left it. "I hate it when you do this Chat. You don't think about yourself. You always let yourself get hurt. Timebreaker…Dislocoeur…"

"…"

"You…you're impossible. You're not real Chat. You act like some sort of movie hero, with your flirting and your nicknames and your…your sacrifices. That's not how it works. That's not how I want it to work."

She was doing it to him. The same thing she always did: melt his heart. "But it always turned out fine, didn't it?"

"You think its fine to have me watch you put yourself in harm's way like that?"

His hand lowered a little, resting on her arm rather than her shoulder. "Because you reverse it. Every time I get in over my head you save me."

"That won't always work!" screamed Ladybug. "One day Chat…one day something's going to happen and you won't be alright! And where will I be then?! What will I do then?!"

She shook herself free from his grip and threw her yo-yo towards the roof of the school. Adrien reached out to grasp ahold of her again but she had already grappled to the ledge where they had convened just a few minutes before. She was gone, and for the second time in two days Adrien's face felt warm and wet, and he didn't need to bring up his hand to check for the cause.

* * *

Adrien didn't bother returning to class after the akuma attack. He didn't want to. He didn't want to learn and he certainly didn't want to think. He just wanted to dull his mind, and the only way to do so was to run throughout Paris as Chat. For hours he leapt across the rooftops of the city, stopping only so that Plagg could recharge and Adrien could get his bearings. Before he knew it the sun had set on Paris. His father, if he took the time to notice, would surely be angry at Adrien for being out so late at night. But this was not a night for Adrien to care about such things. He need only run.

Landing on a building ledge Chat glanced around. He had already torn through this section of the city before, and would do so again until his he had calmed himself. But there was something else familiar about where he was. Something that reminded him of cookies and hot chocolate.

His body began to move without a second thought, bounding gracefully across the rooftops of Paris.

He was going to visit that girl once again, the kind pigtailed girl who had so graciously looked after him before.

He was going to visit Marinette Dupain-Cheng


	3. City of Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My foray into using AOOO has reminded me of the horrors of HTML formatting. I have not done this in years, but I'll make it through. Please feel free to provide me with feedback. This chapter was originally written under the influence of a killer hangover.Usually this would be used as an excuse as to why it's worse than the others but this is me we're talking about, so it's probably better. One day I'll write a chapter while under the influence and it will rival the works of Vonnegut.
> 
> Enjoy.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was not in the best state of mind this night. The sun had long since set and she had been at her room's desk for upwards to two hours and yet her history assignment was sadly unfinished. To the casual observer the assignment didn't even look as if it had been begun. If grades were given out based on brainstorming then Marinette would be one hell of an honors student, but for now, she needed more than anything to write something down.

However, her clouded mind was having trouble forming concrete thoughts about ancient Greece. Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Chat Noir. These thoughts were not related to his fall onto her terrace last night, not at all. They were focused on what she had said to him (okay, somewhat screamed) as Ladybug.

Marinette set down her pencil for the umpteenth time that night, another momentary surrender in her battle against homework. "Tikki…was I wrong to do what I just did?"

There was a subtle movement under the covers of Marinette's bed followed by a blur of red. A small, and admittedly incredibly cute, creature emerged from the blanket. It seems that Tikki, Ladybug's kwami, had awoken from a nap.

"Marinette don't you think it's a little late in the day for regrets?" yawned Tikki.

"This is driving me crazy though. He looked so sad when I left!"

"If you really want my opinion," said Tikki as she floated lazily towards Marinette, "you could've handled yourself a tad better."

"Just a tad, huh?" sighed Marinette as she blew a loose strand of hair from her face.

"If it's any consolation I agree with your…umm…general thoughts on the matter?"

"Did you just ask me a question? That was a question wasn't it?"

"Life itself is like one big mystery Marinette. Don't go panicking over one question or you'll throw off your vibes."

Tikki was trying to dodge the subject. Great. Even the kwami, supposedly older than 5000 years, didn't know what to do about Marinette's actions. It was during times like this that Marinette wished Ayla was around the most. Too bad she couldn't even begin to dare to bring up the subject due to the parties involved…

Maybe she was going about this all wrong. Why think at all? If Ladybug could improvise how to beat an akuma with a spoon, talking to Chat should take no effort at all. Too bad there was no evil to fight against this time though. No amount of yo-yo slinging and lucky charms was going to help her. Derring-do and a can-do attitude never seemed to fit the bill when it came to personal problems. This was not Ladybug's problem, it belonged to Marinette.

And Marinette Dupain-Cheng was not at all impressive.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was frustratingly ordinary. She was okay at school. She was fairly fit yet a bit clumsy. She baked cookies. She liked fashion. She had a hopeless crush on Adrien Agreste. She…

…

Was she really cut out to be a hero?

When Marinette first took on the role of Ladybug she made the decision to conceal her identity solely because she thought she ought to. If she were to become some sort of comic-book super hero then she would play the part. Besides, keeping her parents out of the loop would save her a lot of trouble anyway. This immature view faded as time passed however. Fighting evil tended to do that to a girl. In the place of her naiveté came an overbearing doubt.

Wouldn't everyone be disappointed if they found out?

Marinette was just a girl, but Ladybug…she was a figure that all of Paris looked to in times of need. How could she live up to that? Even if by some miracle someone needed her help she wouldn't be able to do a single damn thing.

Marinette's train of self-deprecation was cut short by a gasp from Tikki. In the blink of an eye the kwami zoomed into the inner pocket of Marinette's coat. The cause of Tikki's panic soon became apparent to Marinette when a tapping began to emanate from her window.

* * *

Adrien was enjoying his window ledge perch much more than he had expected to. Paris was beautiful at this time of night, the lights of the city accentuating the architecture. A residual smell from the bakery's day operations tickled his nose and made his mouth ever so slightly drool. Best of all, however, was the dumbfounded look on Marinette's face once she noticed that the Chat Noir was right outside her window. Good lord, he was feeling better already.

Marinette was able to get over her shock long enough to open the window and Adrien was greeted with an acerbic "What is it kitty?"

"I was just taking my nightly prowl when I realized I hadn't seen you for 24 hours," purred Chat, "such a long time spent apart is terrrrrrrible for the mind. I came right over."

Marinette crossed her arms. "I seem to recall inviting you back if you dropped the jokes. There wasn't a clause for just dropping by."

"Then I suppose we'll take this time to perform negotiations," said Adrien as he stepped across the boundary of the window into Marinette's room.

"I'm not really in the mood at this very moment actually," groaned Marinette. She moved in front of Adrien in an effort to block his advance into the room but there was very little conviction in her motions, as if she was uncertain about something. Underneath her eyes were the beginnings of dark circles and breaks in her lips' skin suggested she had been biting them before his arrival.

"Princess…are you okay?" inquired Chat, halting his advance.

"What? Oh…," she said in a low voice, "Nope! Perfectly fine!" exclaimed Marinette in a rather insincere, peppy fashion.

Adrien wagged his finger in front of her face. "Come now. It's purrfectly fine to tell me. Don't tell me it's about your prince we discussed last night?"

"Don't go sticking your nose into my business Chat Noir; I have a squirt bottle you know?"

Adrien laughed at this. At least she still had her wits with her. "Okay, okay. But really Marinette, what's wrong,\? he said, this time while placing his hand on her right shoulder.

Marinette stared at his hand, lost in thought. Wherever she was right now, she was far away from him. Adrien didn't know whether to be happy that she seemed to have stopped hiding how she was feeling or sad that she was feeling this way.

Slowly but surely, Marinette brought her right hand up her torso until it was resting on Adrien's. "Chat Noir," she started, "I could ask you the same question."

Adrien pulled his hand from her grasp. "I'm not quite sure what you mean," he babbled defensively, letting his hand flail around in the air.

"I'm guessing you haven't looked in a mirror recently?"

"Why? Is there something on my face? I washed it this morning I'll have you know."

"It's not a matter of dust and grime or anything like that kitty."

"…"

"It's your eyes."

His eyes? Had he been crying or something? What was there to be gleamed from those green eyes of his, peering out at her from beyond his mask?

"They look very tired."

Adrien turned towards the window. Perhaps it had been a mistake to come here. He wanted to lift his mood, not worry his classmate. He would have to just up and leave like an indecisive cat unable to settle on a lap.

He was stopped by a firm grip grasping his wrist. He tried to pull his hand away but Marinette was not willing to let go just yet. "Princess," he growled, "I think it best that I leave."

Marinette did not falter. There was no reaction to Adrien's words. Only her eyes staring into his, probing him for answers.

"I saw you earlier today."

That wasn't what Adrien was expecting her to say. "Sorry?"

"You were at my school today. There was a big green wolf that you and Ladybug stopped. It was pretty cool."

Perhaps Adrien could salvage this night after all. "Oh but of course it was. Everything Chat Noir touches becomes cool."

"I don't think your argument with Ladybug afterwards was very becoming though."

Salvage the night? Never mind. "Well Princess, even heroes have some things they need to scream out."

Marinette finally let go of Adrien's hand and began to fiddle with one of her pigtails. "Were you hurt earlier? I swear I could see some blood."

"Yeah I got nicked earlier," confessed Adrien as he brought the knee of his previously injured leg to his torso, "but Ladybug's power fixed it right up."

"She 'fixed it?'"

"Yeah. Ladybug always reverses whatever happens when the battle's over. It doesn't matter at all if I'm injured."

Marinette's canines dug into her lower lip. Adrien noticed too late that he probably made a mistake with his wording.

"It does matter," whispered Marinette, barely perceptively.

Adrien ran is hands through his hair. He had no desire to repeat his argument with Ladybug. "Princess," he crooned, "I'm your-no-this town's hero. Throwing myself into perrrrrilous situations is my M.O."

Marinette opened her mouth to object, but Adrien was quicker than she was this time around.

"I want… I NEED to protect people. It's why I'm here. It's why Chat Noir exists; and I will continue to do so no matter what. If I can defeat an akuma at the cost of some blood, then I'll pay that cost. If I can beat one more monster, help one more person, then I'd give my life."

Shocked, Marinette placed her hand over her mouth. "Your life?" she groaned. "Just what do you think such a thing is worth?"

"Meow?"

"You're not a knight in shining armor Chat. You're a person. A talented person, sure, but a person all the same. You can't just go around willing to pay such a cost. You need to be realistic. You can act like a knight all you want but in the end you're Don Quixote."

Adrien did not like what Marinette was saying. She didn't understand him. How could she? Chat Noir was a being of both freedom and responsibility. If the world needed him to stop gallivanting around Paris and put his life on the line he would do it; even more so if it meant assisting Ladybug.

And yet…

Marinette was being incredibly considerate. There was more she wanted to say, he could feel it radiating off of her, but she kept it in check. He was at a loss with her.

"As long as I help Ladybug nothing else matters."

Adrien turned to leave once more. Marinette's expression had begun to contort and he had not the gumption to see the change through to completion. Before he was able to vault through the window something came down on top of him and blocked his sight. Marinette had thrown the comforter from her bed over him.

Adrien felt the comforter restrict his arms, pinning them against his body. Marinette had thrown her arms around the massive bundle in a desperate hug. Her weight began to pull down on Adrien as he realized that she was probably sinking to her knees. Adrien let himself go and followed Marinette's lead. Being underneath the comforter was a tad uncomfortable, but it was warm. Now on his knees, Adrien explored his new environment. It smelled nice; he was enveloped with Marinette's scent. She smelled of irises and certain sweetness, like cookies baking in an oven. His back felt heavier and warmer than the rest of his body; Marinette was resting herself against it. Even through the comforter he could feel the contours of her lithe figure pressed against his back. There was more push to Marinette's physique than expected, an indication of a secret fitness Adrien did not know of.

Marinette shifted her weight a little, a move which removed the potion of the comforter covering Adrien's head. He craned his neck to the right and his vision was filled with the light blue of Marinette's eyes. His heart sunk to his chest when he noticed the tears welling up in them.

Marinette opened her mouth to speak but had to stop to swallow before she could get her words out. "I care about that person."

"What person?"

"The one right here…the silly kitty that thinks it doesn't matter if he gets hurt." Marinette nuzzled her head into the crook between his right shoulder and neck, leaving Adrien's chin resting on top of head.

"Just as much as you don't want others to hurt…I don't want you to hurt." With every word Marinette spoke Adrien could feel her breath on his neck. It was hot and tickled a little, but Adrien wouldn't dare laugh under such circumstances.

"I'm sure that…that Ladybug feels the same way about you," exhaled Marinette, "I'm sure she wouldn't want you to get hurt kitty."

Adrien laughed at this. "We're partners Princess. Ladybug knows what needs to be done just as much as I do. She's the hero and I'm the helper, nothing more."

"I don't think that's true, you're more important than that."

"…I wish."

There was nothing more to be said. Adrien remained still, allowing Marinette to rest against his body. Periodically he felt a damp heat on his shoulder as some of Marinette's tears fell from her eyes. It was excruciating. He had been too careless with himself and this was the result. All of the words in the world meant nothing when there was a girl crying on your shoulder.

Slowly he brought his right hand to rest on the top of her head. He nuzzled and patted her hair, quite ironic seeing as how he was the cat. "Princess..."

"Chat?"

"This won't be the final time you see me, not by a long shot, but I need something from you."

"What is it?"

"I'll protect myself just as much as I protect everyone else as long as I never have to see you cry."

Marinette pushed upwards against his hand, once again giving him a view of her eyes. He hadn't noticed them before, but there were freckles sprinkled sporadically across the bridge of her nose. He was having trouble seeing them through the flush on her face that had come about due to her crying.

"Are you going to say that to Ladybug as well?"

"I suppose I should, shouldn't I?" laughed Adrien. "It would make a purrfect opportunity for a hug as well."

It was Marinette's turn to laugh now. "Slow down kitty! This is serious business."

"I suppose Princess. I should think with my head instead of my heart for once."

"So your heart thinks about Ladybug?"

"I'm pretty sure every heart in the city thinks of her," sighed Adrien. He noticed a slight blush independent from the crying coming on, giving Marinette a rather odd expression. "But you're very pretty as well Princess! You should be a model!"

"Calm down kitty, don't go falling for a boring girl like me," said Marinette as she relinquished her hug on the comforter and stood back up. "I'm interested in a much better boy anyway."

Adrien stood up as well. "Ooh yes! The Prince! Care to tell me about him."

"Don't go getting competitive with someone you've never met. You boys are all the same."

"View me however you like Princess, but a healthy girl like you probably has his picture around here somewhere." Adrien began to scan the room. Lots of pink, but where would Marinette keep a photo? He saw some squares taped to the wall near her desk and made a beeline for them. Marinette tried to stop him but his animal instincts allowed him to easily evade her flailing arms. Arriving at the desk he leaned in to get a look at who he could only image was the mystery boy.

"…"

"Chat Noir?"

This wasn't good, was it? No, it was fine. No it wasn't! Okay…maybe it wasn't so bad. It could certainly be worse. Chat Noir seeing this shouldn't mean anything to Marinette. It kind of meant something to Adrien though.

Because on the wall was a picture of Adrien Agreste.

"Chat?!"

Marinette's voice brought him back from his panic. Everything was going to be all right, he just had to play it cool. Chat Noir wouldn't care about this, would he?

"Sorry Princess, just admiring his good looks. He seems familiar," crooned Adrien, his voice a tad higher than usual.

"He is good looking, isn't he? His name is Adrien. He's in my class but he's also a model." Marinette sounded vaguely proud that she was somehow associated with this boy.

"Wait…this is Adrien Agreste."

Marinette pursed her lips. "You know him?"

"At the very least I recognize him. I never forget handsome faces."

"Umm…"

"It's like my mind takes snapshots of them. Timberlake? Beckham? Agreste? All in my head."

"And here I thought you had enough self-restraint to only go after girls. I had you pegged all wrong."

Both Adrien and Marinette laughed long and hard at this. Adrien had been lucky to visit the pink room above the bakery. It had calmed his mind over what had happened, and unbeknown to him, Ladybug's as well. Lots had happened over the course of the night, but most of all, he was lucky that Sabine and Tom were so deep in their sleep that they hadn't heard the commotion in their daughter's room.


	4. A Day in the Life of a Black Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was written right after Miraculous came off season one's mid-season hiatus. I thought that was a painful wait, but here we are a few months shy of three years later and season 2 hasn't even finished yet. The progress of this fic might be anemic, but so's the source material.
> 
> Once again-all feedback welcome!!

School had become a tricky situation for Adrien over the past few weeks. It was not due to the difficulty of the work or having to skip out on class due to akuma attacks. Not at all. Adrien's issues with attending school all stemmed from a singular source: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Marinette was a constant in Adrien's life that he had scarcely paid attention to beforehand. Every hour of the day she sat behind him with her friend Alya, giggling as the two whispered jokes at the teachers' expense. There had even been a few occasions where the two girls, alongside Nino, had hung out with Adrien after school. During these sessions Marinette was bizarrely quite compared to how she acted with Chat Noir. Adrien also noticed a series of suspicious looks and gestures between Nino and Alya. He had been oblivious to what was happening before, but now he had a pretty good idea of what the two were trying.

They wanted to actualize Marinette's crush on him.

It was as plain as day, Adrien couldn't believe that it took Marinette unknowingly saying it directly to his face for him to get the message. Everything made sense to Adrien now. She wasn't some sort of social nutcase who couldn't form sentences properly; she was just too shy to talk to him normally.

Adrien's awareness about her feelings caused him to pay more attention to Marinette in turn. Her pigtails seemed to signal her mood. If Marinette was excited they bounced up and down excitedly, and if sad her pigtails would droop like dying flowers. Adrien sometimes found himself honing in on the light freckles which adorned her nose. He did it on instinct and always had to remind himself to stop, lest she notice him staring at her. There were times where Adrien could swear her scent was filling his nose, that sweet scent of cookies and flowers.

The most distracting thing, however, was how much Adrien caught himself wondering about who she was. There was more to Marinette Dupain-Cheng than what she let on in class, and the aspects she revealed in class were already much greater than the ones she nervously showed him. Marinette was very thoughtful with her classmates and quite assertive when she needed to be. She was probably the only one in the class even remotely capable of standing up to Chloé. While Marinette was a tad forgetful and perpetually late for everything, she always tried her best when it came to her duties as Class President and was always lending her friends an ear. Adrien was almost disappointed in himself for associating with her so little. He was grateful for his one step removed position at the moment however; he would probably have just as much trouble talking to Marinette at this point as she did with him.

This issue was dodged using the incredible charms of Chat Noir. Donning the feline hero's costume and persona gave Adrien a chance to interact with Marinette without having to pay much thought to romantic tension. He visited her fairly frequently these days, unable to get his fill of her. When it came to Chat Marinette was merciless, even a tad acerbic. His conversations with her were often fast paced and full of jokingly made insults. Most importantly, however, was the kindness that radiated from everything she said and did. Adrien knew for a fact that he would never forget the night she had consoled him over Ladybug's lecture. She had made him feel better in a way he didn't feel possible. Adrien didn't know how, but Marinette had shown an ability to empathize with him like no other.

The growling of Adrien's stomach distracted him from his thoughts. He couldn't wait for school to end so he could head home. Plagg was probably growing desperate for some cheese at this point as well. The instructor had her back turned to him as she wrote on the board. Adrien snuck a glance behind him. There was Marinette, diligently taking notes as far as Adrien could tell. Her eyes were shining with an unparalleled brightness and her tongue stuck out from her mouth ever so slightly. Letting his gaze wander Adrien realized that she was "writing" in her sketchpad rather than her notebook. Adrien panned his eyes over the desk, making direct eye contact with Alya in the process. The junior reporter gave him a mischievous wink. Blushing, Adrien whipped around faster than he should have in order to break contact with the girl. The action had been a little too violent for Nino to not notice and the boy chuckled at Adrien.

"Checking out the girls bro?" heckled Nino in a hushed voice.

"As if," whispered back Adrien.

"Now I know you wouldn't go getting in my way with Alya, which means," taunted Nino, "you were checking out Marinette, weren't you?"

"I'm a young guy Nino, I do what I feel is right. It's like that time I found you browsing that website. What was it called? Red-"

"Oh come on! That was one time!" yelled Nino. The instructor turned around with a dumbfounded expression on her face along with everyone else in the class. Nino was saved from further scrutiny by the ringing of the bell. Adrien attempted to smoothly extract himself from the situation but was stopped by Chloé.

"Oh Adrien~" crooned the girl, "We need to have a little chat."

"Okay. Want to go get something to eat? I'm starving."

"I don't think so; we're talking right here, right now." Adrien was taken aback by Chloé's sudden shift to a bitingly cold tone. Adrien looked to Sabrina, who was standing behind Chloé's shoulder, for comfort, but was met with a fierce glare.

"Do you think I haven't noticed you staring at her?" accused Chloé, shoving a finger into Adrien's chest.

"Staring? I wasn't staring at anyone!"

"Don't even think of trying to wriggle your way out of this one. I saw you gazing at Marinette back there." Of course Chloé had noticed. The girl had a long streak of being observant at the most inconvenient times.

"What of it?"

"I don't tolerate two timing Adrien. I expect an apology."

"We're not together!" exclaimed Adrien, letting anger enter his tone. Chloé had been like this as long as he could remember; always thinking she could just take what she wanted and disregard everyone else along the way.

"It's only a matter of time. I'd just prefer that you don't go on tangents with low-class trash beforehand." Chloé had both hands planted firmly on her hips, looking as if she had just stated the most objective fact in history. "I wouldn't want her to rub off on you, that's all."

This was one of those occasions where Adrien wondered what would happen if he used Catastrophe on a person. If he touched Chloé's skin would she crumble into dust? He had no way of knowing and of course he would never try to test it out, but that was more a testament to his self-control than wanting to let Chloé of the hook. Marinette was "low-class trash?" Not in a million years; not his Marinette. Not the freckled girl who giggled so cutely. Not the pigtailed saint who had picked him up when he was down. A person like that was as far from trash as you could get…and yet…Chloé insisted on the term. Unforgiveable.

Adrien held his body as rigidly as possible in order to not let his anger escape. The affect was wasted however, the tension he held in his face and muscles made his mood clear as day. "Chloé," he growled, "don't you dare talk about her like that to me or to anyone ever again."

"Why is that?"

"WHY?!" yelled Adrien, momentarily forgetting himself. "Get the hell out of my face."

Chloé gave the situation some thought, trying to find some way to worm herself out of it. Unable to do show she snorted and stomped out of the classroom, Sabrina following in her wake. Adrien released some of the tension in his muscles, relieved to have been rid of Chloé. His momentary peace was interrupted, however, by a snicker behind his back.

Turning around to confront the source of the noise, Adrien was faced by another female classmate of his. The new arrival wasn't haughty or arrogant like Chloé, not by a long shot. Her reputation on the other hand…let's just say most would consider her just as problematic. Worst of all, she was probably the last person he would've wanted to see considering the conversation she had most likely overheard. When it came to Marinette, nobody knew more than amateur journalist Alya.

Adrien dreadfully took note of the inquisitive and playful gleam her eyes. No amount of crime fighting could prepare him to take on the full scrutiny of Alya's mind. "Now, now," she teased, "I wasn't one to think you could get so impassioned over my little Mari."

Play it cool Adrien. You need to play your cards perfectly with this one. "I just didn't appreciate Chloé's tone, that's all."

Alya wasn't fooled at all. "That was much less an expression of dislike and more like pure anger just now."

"Life's been pretty stressful lately. Got to let it out sometime."

"Oh? So I suppose you were just accidently staring at her all day today?" Alya, like always, went straight for the jugular of the situation. Adrien had seen enough of her behavior in class to know that he would be figuratively be going home in a body bag at the end of the day.

"I was not staring!"

"Honey, your eyes were so glazed over you looked like you were blind." Alya laughed. "I had always read that the pupils dilate when someone likes what they see, but yours looked like saucer plates!"

Had he really been staring at Marinette that much? Alya had caught him that one time, sure, but that was ONE TIME. Besides there was Ladybug, the miraculous Ladybug whom Adrien had a…okay it was just a dumb crush. His Lady was cool and confident but he didn't really know her that well. He'd flirt with her and sometimes he thought she was even flirting back, but nothing serious. She always ran off after the battle was over as well, eager to preserve the secret identity that Adrien was ever-so-eager to know. Lady bug cared for him though; that much had been made clear to him a few weeks ago. But so did Marinette.

Marinette…

Cookies and flowers and sweet things. Oh God. This was another crush wasn't it? He hadn't noticed before because it had felt different, but Adrien couldn't deny that something had creeped up on him. This wasn't good.

Bringing up Adrien's little stare session had its intended effect. The boy's guard had been completely shattered, leaving his face wide open for Alya's interpretation. The gears were turning somewhere, but they only amounted to a dumbfounded expression that looked positively out of place yet so appropriate on the young model.

"I'll just take that as confirmation," said Alya, bringing her hand to her chin. "You're acting almost as cute as she does."

Cute as she does? Alya had no idea the level of cuteness she was referencing. "Well…we all stare a little sometimes."

"But not always at my little Mari, lover boy," teased Alya. "The school paper's gonna love this."

"You can't!"

"I can do whatever I want; it's not illegal is it?" Alya leaned closer to Adrien, still cupping her chin. "But maybe I'll let this slide if you do me a favor."

"What is it?" groaned Adrien.

"I've been in the mood for a good croissant all day. Hot or cold doesn't matter to me, but I'd appreciate one by tomorrow."

"That's it? You want a croissant?"

"Yep."

Adrien turned to leave, eager to escape from Alya's clutches. Just as he had passed under the frame the bespectacled girl said what Adrien had been so afraid she would:

"Keep in mind that I only like the croissants from the Dupain-Cheng Bakery."

* * *

If Alya wanted a croissant she was getting a croissant. So what if Adrien wasn't going to be able to hand it off until the next day? The bakery was very close to the school and Adrien didn't know if the bakery would be open tomorrow morning. If he wanted to fulfill the girl's request he had to do it now. Marinette had nothing to do with it.

Having concluded this bout of internal justification, Adrien steeled himself and opened the door to the bakery. In his nervousness the sound of the bell ringing to alert the owners that someone was stepping through the doorway almost sent him running for the hills. Adrien knew that it was in his own interests to calm down, but serenity seemed to have a way of avoiding him. The only thing keeping Adrien in check was that rather than Marinette at the counter there was a very large man with brown hair and a mustache. Adrien had seen this man before, during career day in fact. The man had given speech that Adrien had been a little too…distracted…to listen to properly. Adrien remembered his name though; Tom Dupain.

The lack of Marinette in Adrien's immediate vicinity allowed to model to relinquish some of his tension and investigate his surroundings. The bakery had a pleasant atmosphere without being too overbearing. An elaborate rug gave Adrien something to look at while the exposed brick walls lent an earthly flavor to the ambiance. To the left of the counter was a display case full of sweets. Sniffing the air, Adrien was surprised to find that the fresh-scent of bread still permeated the air. Many of the bakeries that Adrien typically frequented tended to close around this time. Even then most places probably wouldn't be baking fresh products at this time. Adrien had no idea whether or not it was because Marinette's family was passionate about their establishment or just had a unique business sense.

Realizing that he was just standing in the middle of the floor ogling, Adrien returned his attention to Tom. The large man gave the boy a gentle smile. "What can I do for you today?"

"Pardon me. I was wondering if you still had croissants available for purchase."

"Of course! Just tell me the specifics and I'll have them for you in no time."

While Adrien had come to the bakery specifically to fulfill Alya's request he figure it would be a waste of the baker's time to sell one measly croissant. Adrien ordered a half-dozen while entertaining the thought of how nice it would be if the bakery had coffee as well. Croissants and coffee sounded relaxing…

"If you don't mind me saying, you look familiar." Tom pulled at his mustache, trying to recall why he recognized the golden-haired boy. It would come eventually.

"You were in my class once. You brought food for everyone."

"Oh ho! A classmate of my daughter, huh?" Adrien was slightly disconcerted over how much this news seemed to have pleased Tom. The longer they spent talking the longer Adrien would have to remain in the bakery.

"Say," said Tom as he handed over the croissants, "would you like to help us out with something really quick?"

"What is it?"

"You'll see soon enough," teased Tom as he signaled for Adrien to come beyond the boundaries of the counter. "My wife and I came up with a new icing recipe the other day. We've been testing it out ever since."

"A new type of icing?"

"Yep," said Tom as he put his hand on Adrien's shoulder and lead the boy to the kitchen area. "Pretty complicated to make compared to the standard fare. I'd love it if you tried it out for me. A taste test, if you would."

Adrien's heart skipped a beat as he entered the main kitchen. Resting on a table was an assortment of chocolate cupcakes, enough to feed an entire birthday party of children. Around two thirds of them had icing, clearly carefully applied if the wondrous swirls of white on the brown treats were any indication. The remaining cupcakes were slowly being iced by a young girl. Concentrating on the cupcakes, she hummed to herself as Adrien and Tom approached. While she was wearing plastic gloves and her pigtails were contained in a hairnet Adrien would have recognized the young woman anywhere. He wouldn't be able to avoid Marinette after all.

Tom clasped a large hand on his daughter's shoulder. Adrien felt a twinge of amusement at the shock that ran up her body when the contact was made.

"D-dad! Don't scare me like that."

"Hahaha! Don't worry so much my little Mari. Look! I brought a taste tester!" guffawed Tom as he motioned towards Adrien.

Adrien felt heat crawl up his face. He hoped that no one could see him blushing, because he felt as if it was incredibly obvious. Luckily, it seemed like Marinette would take most of the heat for him. The poor girl almost looked like she was about to start bawling her eyes out over Adrien's unexpected appearance. He felt a small twinge of guilt over this, but also felt fairly flattered.

Tom made a swift exit, chuckling to himself all the while. Perhaps the large man thought that his involvement ended with making the presence of a taste tester known. Adrien couldn't help but to think that Tom's amusement with the situation was because the baker could sense the tension in the kitchen.

Despite his nervousness Adrien tried to maintain eye contact with Marinette in an attempt to play it cool. It was clear that Marinette wasn't nearly as good at playing things off as Adrien; whenever his eyes met hers Marinette cast a glance somewhere else. Adrien would follow her eyes to their new location, causing Marinette to move hers again in a blur of white and blue. Her comical attempts to avoid his gaze were rather cute, but Adrien was starting to feel dizzy from all the ocular movement.

"So," started Adrien, hoping to shake up the current situation, "how's it going?"

Marinette began to wave her hands in front of her face wildly, sometimes grasping her cheeks. "Oh, uh…I was just thinking how great it was that you're here…no! How great you are-uh-I mean not just you; the whole class! So what I was really thinking was…ummm…school's fun?"

Oh. My. God. Marinette was babbling, it was almost cartoonish to behold. How could on person just let what they say get so out of control? Most importantly, however, was how damn cute it was. While Adrien had come to appreciate the feisty Marinette that interacted with Chat, her overwhelming meekness in this situation was strangely endearing. Forget the cupcakes; this sight was the real treat.

Marinette took a cupcake in her hand and clumsily offer it to Adrien. She had smeared the icing in the process, rubbing off quite a bit on her thumb. Adrien wondered what kind of reaction he would get if he licked it off like a cat. Perhaps he'd get to see that cute, flustered face again.

Not wanting to keep Marinette waiting, Adrien bit into the cupcake. The flavor was much stronger than he imagined; Tom's icing recipe was incredibly rich. Adrien couldn't imagine being able to eat two or three more without beginning to feel sick from flavor overload. There was also something else that Adrien couldn't quite place, an odd feeling in his mouth…

It had started as a mere inconsistency but it was becoming increasingly unpleasant. As if on cue his body rejected the feeling and his mouth spasmed. Holding the source of the unpleasantness in his hand Adrien came to the realization that he had forgotten to remove the liner from the cupcake.

Adrien hadn't thought it possible, but Marinette's face had become even redder. In fact, she was well on her way to turning purple; stifling laughter into her palm over Adrien's mishap with the cupcake. While Adrien didn't appreciate that the laughter was at his expense he was glad that Marinette had stopped thinking too hard about Adrien's presence. The more she loosened up the better.

"Why don't you let me do it for you?" inquired Marinette, stripping a new cupcake of its liner. The liner peeled of perfectly with no residue sticking to it. Were these the skilled hands of a baker's daughter? Despite Marinette's general clumsiness the she seemed to handle the cupcake with a natural feel. Adrien was reminded of the hat she had made for his father's competition, how skillful the stitching and embroidery was.

Marinette's handoff, however, was less than graceful. She fumbled the cupcake and dropped it, catching it again right before it hit the ground. Unfortunately she had caught the treat upside-down, smearing the icing all over her palm. It looked to be quite a mess and most definitely a second cupcake casualty. Feeling playful, Adrien dipped his finger into the mass of icing resting in Marinette's palm. He felt a shiver run up his classmate's body when he made contact. Deciding to ignore Marinette's reaction for now, he brought the finger to his mouth and sucked the icing off.

"This is great!"

Marinette stared at Adrien, not knowing what to do. Was she surprised that he had enjoyed the icing or was it something else? He eyes slammed from one side of her head to the other as she struggled to think of what to do. Eventually, Marinette brought her dirtied palm to mouth level and took a tentative lick of the icing.

Her eyes met his and she managed to squeak some words out, "It is."

Adrien couldn't help but to smile at this. Sure she may have had a crush on him sure she might act a little awkward, but this was still the Marinette that he knew. For the first time in a long time, he forgot the troubles of the "Adrien Agreste" and got to feel like "Chat Noir," and to be able to feel like this without the costume was a blessing indeed.


	5. The Year Long Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the story truly begins. I couldn't write fluff forever. Please review!

What was going on with Marinette's life recently? As if juggling her responsibilities as a student and a superhero wasn't enough , she had recently started dealing with a surplus of blond haired boys in her daily schedule. Chat Noir was already an acquaintance of her superhero persona and now he was slowly wiggling his way into her private life. On top of this, Adrien had hung out with her all day yesterday! After their misadventures with the cupcakes the pair had gone up to her room to play videogames and discuss various grievances about their school lives (of course, Marinette forced Adrien to stay downstairs until she had done some "cleaning"). The only explanation she got over yesterday was a ";)" text from Alya.

Maybe it would've been better to ask what wasn't going on with Marinette's life recently.

Sunshine, for starters. Marinette sighed to herself as she walked towards her school through the rainy morning. A little doom and gloom now and then provided a nice change of color, but the girl was less than enthused about sitting in class with soggy clothes.

"I suppose a person so fond of pink wouldn't appreciate the rain that much, huh?" Enquired a voice from Marinette's half-opened purse.

"What does that say about you? Your skin's red."

"Marinette," giggled the creature, "do you really think a kwami as old as I am minds a little rain?"

"That's easy enough to say when you're cooped up in my purse. Why don't you fly next to me for a bit?"

"Because I'd get wet."

"SO YOU DO CARE!" yelled Marinette, craning her head down towards the purse's opening.

"Angry at your purse girl?" Marinette shot up straight. There was only one person who talked to her like that.

Alya walked up to Marinette and reached for the blushing girl's purse inquisitively. Marinette caught on to what was happening just in time to jerk the purse away from Alya's hands and mumble out an excuse for her behavior.

"What was that Marinette? 'I was just trying to tmmgrrgrr?'"

"Oooh… you know what I meant."

"Whatever." said Alya dissmissivly, the devilish gleam in her eyes indicative of more pressing matters on her mind. "How was your date yesterday?"

Marinette turned bright red. "W-w-w-w-w-what date?!"

"You don't know? And after all the effort I spent to send Adrien over too…"

"That wasn't a date Alya," hissed Marinette, "we just hung out for a bit."

"You're really disappointing me this morning Mari. Nino and I were coming up with all sorts of theories about how yesterday could've gone."

"Pray tell."

"We were really wondering how you'd react if dream boy copped a feel. Would you be submissive or start spitting fire?" teased Marinette's friend.

"ALYA!"

"See, you can get pretty fired up sometimes, but this is Adrien we're talking about so maybe you'd just melt like-"

"First of all," interrupted Marinette, "a kind, gentle, polite boy like Adrien would never do such a thing. I'd appreciate it if you didn't mix him up with the characters from those smutty novels you hide under your bed."

"I don't hide them, they're right there in my bookcase."

"Second, DON'T CONJECTURE ABOUT ME LIKE THAT!"

Alya smirked as Marinette turned her head to see if any of the passerbys had been listening in on their little argument. While nobody was in that close a proximity to the pair an old woman across the street stopped and stared after Marinette's most recent scream.

"…let's just get to school already." Groaned Marinette as she continued on her way towards the building where she'd be spending the rest of her day.

The main topic in science for the day was Punnet Squares. Apparently, some old dude somewhere had devised a way to determine a child's genetics by looking at differing combinations of dominant and recessive genes. Marinette mused whether or not having all dominant genes would make the offspring itself dominant. What if somewhere, somehow two clones were made but the traits were split? No, not important. What was important was whatever mixture of dominant and recessive genes would give someone beautiful blonde hair and gorgeous green eyes.

All Marinette wanted to do was stare at the back of Adrien's head all day. The boy was making that very hard to achieve with all his fidgeting, however. Every so often Adrien would turn his head just enough to glance behind him and Marinette would be forced to avert her gaze. It was inconvenient, but at least she was getting a clear view of his face for a split-second whenever it happened.

Eventually the bell rang and Adrien shuffled out of class with a sheepish expression on his face. Marinette's relief over the instructor failing to notice her inattention was washed away by a flood of concern. Had something happened to Adrien? He was acting so oddly today.

Before Marinette could consider the situation any longer her view was blocked by Nino and Alya, both grinning maliciously.

"Marinette," crooned Nino, "tell me, how was my best buddy yesterday? I didn't get to see him after school because of you. It's your responsibility to supply me with some much needed info."

"And don't skimp on the details." chimed in Alya.

Marinette put her face in her hands. These two were going to hound her for the rest of her life weren't they? "We ate some cupcakes and played some fighting games, that's it."

"That's, like, really disappointing Marinette. You need to step up your game." grumbled Nino. "If you want Adrien's attention you gotta make a big move. Just kiss him on the lips or something."

I'll give you a bloody lip first.

"I know boys like videogames, but you need to start playing some 'sexy games' if you know what I mean." stated Alya

What have you and Nino been doing?!

"Text him a picture of your feet or something. Some guys like that kind of thing." said Nino sheepishly, "I wouldn't know though, it's just advice."

"Nino, as your girlfriend I know you have a foot fetish. Don't play cute with my bestie."

Marinette wasn't particularly enjoying the conversation, but at least it seemed Alya and Nino were just as interested in grilling each other as they were with grilling her. If she just stayed quite long enough they would eventually give up and do something else.

In the end, however, Marinette didn't have to wait long at all. Her friends' revelry was cut short by the screams emanating from the hallway.

"Not again!"

"Help!"

"It's another akuma!"

Alya was out the door in a flash, hand reaching into her back pocket for her cellphone. No doubt she was hoping to get a prime scoop for the Ladyblog. Nino hesitated as his girlfriend bolted through the classroom door, not wanting to get mixed up in an akuma attack. Knowing perhaps, that he'd get chewed out for not helping, he eventually shrugged his shoulders and gave chase after Alya.

Marinette was looking for a place to transform herself. She was hoping that the classroom would empty so she could change into Ladybug out of sight, but no such luck. Mylène, one of Marinette's jumpier classmates, was hiding under a desk. It was a very poor choice on the short girl's part, as the desk rattled as she shook with fear. Marinette would have to leave the classroom to turn into Ladybug.

Turning out off the doorway, Marinette was disheartened to find herself face to face with what appeared to be an oversized squid with legs. The creature's skin pulsated, giving off noxious fumes that threatened both Marinette's stomach and her basic sense of hygiene.

"iT's NoT fAiR," slurred the creature. "dAmN yOu sIs. mY rOoM dOeS nOt sMeLl lIkE fIsH!" The akuma swung an oversized tentacle at Marinette which threatened to bash her against the wall. She ducked down and avoided the appendage, her heart sinking into her stomach as the impact of the tentacle caused a sizable crack to appear on the wall.

Okay, so this new akuma was pretty strong. No matter, she just had to slip away, transform and cast Lucky Charm like she always did.

"gEt bAcK hErE sIs!" screamed the creature as it lunged at Marinette. Did it think everything was its sister?

Before the creature could catch her with its tentacles, however, Marinette felt her feet leave the floor. Rather, a strong pair of arms had lifted her up princess-style and pulled her backwards. Momentarily safe from the monster, Marinette looked up at her savior to find Chat Noir with a devilish grin.

"Looks like you're in a hairy situation, Princess." said the young hero.

"Like you wouldn't believe." groaned Marinette as she hopped out of Chat's arms. Before she could do anything else an iron-strong grip wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" questioned Chat, "we're not in the clear yet Princess."

Princess? Oh right, she was still Marinette wasn't she? There's no way Chat Noir would see her as anything more than a weak, helpless civilian.

One of the akuma's tentacles shot out at the pair like a bullet. Chat parried the blow with the staff in his free hand, looking a tad dismayed over how much the action had numbed his arm.

"You need to stay close to me Marinette, this guy's pretty strong and fast." growled Chat, preparing himself for the next assault.

The next tentacle came from above. Unable to backstep quick enough with Marinette in tow, Chat let go of her hand to directly block with his staff. He yelped with pain when the tentacle came into contact with his guard, buckling to his knees. Marinette reached out for the black-clad boy, but before she could make contact Chat threw off the tentacle and grabbed her by the waist.

Marinette could hear a pained grunt as Chat Noir leapt. Blocking the powerful blow head on had done a real number on his body. Before Chat could land another tentacle clipped his foot, sending him and Marinette reeling in mid-air.

As the pair crumpled in the corner of the upstairs walkway Marinette desperately checked off her options. Could she transform on the walkway? No, too public. Bathroom? Neither Chat Noir nor the akuma would let her stray that far. The alley outside? What was she going to do, jump out the second story window?

She cast an aside glanced at Chat Noir. Catching her gaze, the goofy boy smiled wide. He was trying to reassure her, but the panicked look in his eyes wasn't very reassuring.

There's no way Chat Noir can protect me and fight the akuma at the same time.

The realization hit Marinette like a frigid wind. Chat Noir was going to lose, and it was because of her. He would lose because he was trying to protect Marinette and he would lose because Ladybug would never show up to help him.

She would have to transform there and now. There were no other options, no alternatives for her to take.

And yet…

Why couldn't she bring herself to take action?

Was she afraid? Afraid to let Chat Noir see her this way? Afraid that Ladybug would simply become Marinette. And the akuma…if she transformed in front of it, wouldn't Hawk Moth discover who she was? There was no way she could transform in this scenario, but the akuma wasn't going to give her any other options.

The monster swung wide. It was a slower strike, but still devastatingly powerful. Marinette understood its danger, understood its motion and even with her insecurities and fears blaring at her, understood her responsibility.

There was still a way, or rather, there was only one way.

* * *

Adrien was really starting to second-guess his classroom's seating arrangement. For months he had though it was perfectly fine. After all, his best bud Nino was right by his side, and Chloe and Sabrina weren't in his immediate vicinity. To top it all off, if he could always turn around to have fun conversations with Alya and…

What Adrien was really starting to second guess was sitting in front of Marinette.

She was pretty, incredibly pretty in nothing more than a blazer and a white shirt. He didn't even want to begin to imagine how she'd look in a dress. And how would that dress look? Traditional? Maybe she'd wear a Chinese dress like her mother? A Chinese dress with her hair tied up in a bun…

This was getting to be too much for Adrien. He had just stolen a glance at the girl less than a minute ago, and he was already about to do it again. But this time was different, he wasn't giving into his feelings or anything. No way. He just needed to provide himself with a reference so he could imagine how Marinette would look.

Having convinced himself that he had to do it, Adrien craned his neck to look at the girl. She was writing in her notebook with a nervous look on her face, a common sight today. To her side sat Alya, making eye contact with Adrien while wearing the smuggest grin imaginable.

Adrien's concentration was broken by an elbow in his side. Turning back around to look at the perpetrator, Adrien came face to face with Nino, flashing a toothy smile while making a thumbs-up gesture. Before the boy could say anything the bell rang and Adrien rushed out of the classroom in a hurry. At the very least, he needed to go wash his face and calm down before facing the gauntlet of Alya and Nino's mockery.

As soon as the door to the bathroom swung shut and Adrien could tell he was alone a black blur flew out from his pocket.

"You know, normal boys ask out the girls they have crushes on." chided Plagg.

"Oh yeah? Is that what you did back in kwami high school? Was there a nice tortoishell you wanted to spill your heart to?"

"Of course. She was a half-Chinese mix, but in the end all I did was stare at her all day until we graduated. I began work with Chat Noir, she started working at a newspaper and we kinda grew apart. Very tragic."

Any retort Adrien had went to the back of his mind after a loud crash echoed through the school. He could hear screams in the distance, as well as the disjointed grunts and growls of an undoubtedly gross looking creature.

"For heaven's sake, I miss the days where something surprising happened and I didn't instantly think it was an akuma."

"I think those days went on for too long," replied Plagg, "If I was Chat Noir, I would've caught on by the second we-"

"Shush! Transform me!"

Adrien and Plagg disappeared in a flash of light, leaving behind Chat Noir. He had to act quickly to prevent his schoolmates from getting hurt, there were plenty of corners and dead ends in the that would leave them with no way to escape the akuma. Adrien's thoughts flew to his friends from class, if they remained in the upper level classroom then they wouldn't have much choice but to jump out of the window.

"Damn it! Marinette's still up there!"

Adrien burst from the bathroom swinging his head wildly. His entire body was tensed, ready to take action as soon as he ascertained the situation. His vision ground to a halt at the sight of Marinette being confronted by the akuma. It was terrifying to look at, not only because the akuma was hideous, but also because it could crush Marinette like an ant at any given moment. Adrien leapt up behind Marinette on the walkway and closed the difference between him and the girl. He had to be quick, the akuma was preparing to strike.

*CLANG*

Adrien lifted Marinette out of the way as the monster swung its massive tentacle. One second later, and Marinette would've been mangled by the powerful blow.

Adrien did his best to say something playful despite his relative panic over the situation. Marinette responded by hopping out of his arms. Was she approaching the akuma? Why the hell would she do that? Before he had even processed it, Adrien grabbed her again.

"What are you doing? We're not in the clear yet Princess."

Marinette looked confused for a moment before regaining her composure. Was she surprised that Adrien wouldn't be willing to let her approach an akuma?

From his peripheral vision Adrien barely noticed the akuma launch a second assault. He blocked the blow with his staff, but…

*pop*

An unpleasant, shocking pain shot through Adrien's arm from his shoulder. Was the akuma really so strong that he couldn't even manage to block it? He had to get Marinette away from that thing.

The next attack came from overhead. Adrien couldn't backstep quickly enough to dodge it, and the walkway combined with Marinette's weight effectively stopped him from dodging to the side. Unable to come up with a better solution, he opted to directly block the attack.

This was a mistake.

As pain shot through his body and his legs crumbled beneath him, Adrien knew he had made the battle much harder on himself. He could've redirected the blow with his staff. Hell, he could've destroyed the tentacle completely with Cataclysm. He chastised himself for taking so much avoidable damage while attempting to regain his footing.

This really, really hurts. I won't be able to block something like that again.

Adrien threw the tentacle off, grabbing for Marinette. As soon as he had a solid grip on the girl he jumped, determined to make as much difference between them and the akuma as possible. The akuma had other plans, however, sending out a tentacle that clipped Chat on the foot. The imbalance it caused in his form sent him and Marinette crashing into the ground of the catwalk.

Falling like that wouldn't have been a treat even under the best of situations, but the damage Chat had accumulated made it even worse. He could feel his body protesting all over. All he wanted to do was stay on the ground, but he couldn't do that. The fall had hurt Marinette as well…he couldn't let her get hurt again.

His gaze met hers. The look she gave him seemed questioning, it was as if she was pondering a complex situation. Adrien shot her a smile in an attempt to reassure her, but he didn't think it would work quite that well.

He could see the akuma preparing a finishing blow. Adrien had taken heavy damage from blocked moves, a head on impact from the akuma would surely finish him. Hopefully the akuma would ignore Marinette and go only for him. If Hawk Moth wanted the Miraculous so badly, that would be the best course of action.

Hopefully he would be the only one to get hurt.

Hopefully his Lady would save the day like she always did. Even if he couldn't help her.

Marinette struggled to her feet and started towards the akuma. Adrien couldn't stop her, he couldn't even bring his body to move. He needed more time to recover.

Hopes don't always pan out.

Time came to a standstill as the tentacle collided with Marinette's small frame, sending her body through the second story window and into the alleyway below.

* * *

A dull pain spread throughout Marinette's body. She couldn't breathe. At first she thought it was simply because her ribs had been crushed, but reality was far more distressing.

She was choking on her own blood.

Marinette struggled to move her body, to roll over and clear her airway, but it was no good. She didn't have the strength to move. Her body was in no condition to do anything. She would simply lie there until she either bled out or choked to death.

Marinette was saved from these outcomes by a warm light enveloping her body. Tikki fluttered about her head, working Miraculous magic to heal the wounds and numb Marinette's pain. It wasn't enough to take the most of the damage away, but the reprieve gave Marinette the strength to cough up the blood in her throat.

*gack*

Red spread out around her on the alley ground, staining the surface of everything it touched and leaving the scent of iron in its wake.

"Tikki…"

"Don't talk Marinette." The red kwami tried to keep Marinette still, but the girl wasn't having it.

"If I transform-"

"You're not transforming."

"If I transform…I'll have the strength to move…right?"

Tikki looked as if she was about to cry. Was her charge being brave or foolhardy…she couldn't decide.

"Marinette…if you transform…you could move…and your injuries would heal somewhat…"

"Then-"

"But the healing light won't have its full effect on you. If I want to heal you fully, I need Chat to capture the akuma and feed it to me."

"He won't be able to," croaked Marinette, "He needs us Tikki, Chat can't win without Ladybug."

"…"

"Why do you think I let that tentacle hit me? Do you think I like getting hurt? Of course I don't, it's scary…I hate this…but…," Marinette's body trembled and her voice cracked. Ladybug was a superhero, but right now she was nothing more than a scared kid, "…but I have to. No one's in the alley…that's why I had the akuma hit me through that window after all…"

"Marinette! Don't tell me you-!"

"Spots on."

* * *

The papers would go on to report about how a school had been attacked by a tentacled akuma. Just like always, Chat Noir and Ladybug arrived to save the day. Just like always, they would perform a miracle. The truly miraculous thing about the attack, the reporters would go on to claim, was that only one student was injured. One unlucky bakers' daughter…

* * *

Later that same day, in a nondescript apartment one could find anywhere in Paris, a figure sat at the foot of the bed in a dark room. Anyone could tell at the glance that life wasn't going well for the figure, its hair was a mess, its eyes were sullen, and there was salt from dried tears on its face.

Yes indeed, life was not going well for the figure. In fact, the figure wanted its life to end. Why go on in a world that could produce the pain it had felt?

A black butterfly silently fluttered its wings.

Yes…an end to it all would be nice.

The butterfly passed through the walls of the apartment.

Perhaps today would be the day it would all end.

The butterfly settled upon the figure's head and a dark haze spread forth. A new akuma was about to be born. Except right before it took form, the figure said something unexpected.

"Forget it. Everything's pointless. I don't feel like dying. I don't feel anything anymore."

A sinister light spread throughout the room, obscuring the figure. What was going on behind that veil? Nobody knew, and this time, perhaps not even Hawk Moth himself knew.

The light died out, and in its wake stood a person. Neither man nor woman, neither adult nor child…the person's traits were completely androgynous. Any indication as to identity was hidden by a bushy head of brown hair, and loose baggy clothing.

The figure looked around the room, letting out a hum as it did so. Its voice was sweet but at the same time, betrayed no hint of emotion.

It was almost as if the figure had made no noise whatsoever. It was almost as if there was nothing there.

Having completed its evaluation, the figure tilted its head to stare at the ceiling.

"Chiaro."

It continued to stare at the ceiling, its expression betraying no emotion.

"I apologize. I meant to say 'I see,' but I got confused. This is Paris, correct? The language I use should be French. I just got mixed up and picked an arbitrary language because, for some reason, the text is in English."

What was that?

"Are you confused, Hawk Moth and other eavesdroppers? It doesn't really concern me, but I expect you to be. After all, stories don't flow very well when the author fails to deliver on context."

Were the words it spoke to the air meant to convey something to someone?

"Truth be told, I'm not interested in you lot in the slightest. After all, if this world was a story, you wouldn't be the main characters. Even a poorly plotted fanfiction can be good if the main characters are entertaining enough."

This creature was many things, but "akuma" was not one of them.

"That being said, I'm not really enjoying the action of the MCs right now either. It's going wayyyy too slowly for my tastes."

The creature reached a hand towards the ceiling.

"So I'll end it. I'll simply end this cute little romance story and play around here as I see fit."


	6. Tragic Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A boy with a visitor's pass wanders the halls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this you caught up to my initial story dump. everything from here on out will be hot off the presses. Drop a line if you want to tell me how poorly I did.

Sterility. It was a word that Adrien had become more than familiar with as the years went by. It was a feeling that all models knew intimately, the heat and brightness of the studio lights which washed away all of the dirt and flaws-all of the creeping shadows. Yet, somehow, it always felt cold and spiritless instead. Those bright lights didn't give any life; they merely kept death at bay. They were a stopgap measure-something that people needed yet nobody wanted.

Kind of like a hospital.

Adrien's footsteps echoed around him as he continued down the long hallway. Fluorescent lighting illuminating the path of the unknown ward and floor he had nearly sleepwalked to. While the nondescript backdrop failed to change around him, a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach continued to build as he pressed down the hall. He needed to reach his destination…but the thought of what laid in store for him once arrived there terrified him.

A young girl with chestnut hair exited the room just ahead of him and Adrien knew he had reached the end of the line. She looked haggard and forlorn, as if she hadn't slept for a few restless nights. She continued to face the door she had just closed, hand resting on the knob. Her head moved in response to Adrien's final footstep before coming to a stop. Her eyes met his and he could see just how extremely bloodshot they were. Adrien doubted his looked much better.

"Thanks for coming." croaked Alya.

"I wouldn't be much of a friend if I hadn't."

"A friend huh?" she smirked, "Who knows how she'd react to that?" said Alya as her gaze drifted back towards the room she had just exited.

The girl began to speak again after a silent moment had passed, "I wish she wasn't sleeping, I would have loved to see what she'd do." Alya's eyes met Adrien's again before sinking down towards the floor, "I meant…if she was awake…I don't know if this counts as sleep."

Alya's voice trembled. Adrien could see the tears begin to form in her eyes but hesitated to do anything to comfort her. What would be the point? Nothing would cheer her up, just like nothing would cheer him up.

Alya bit her lip and forced her gaze to meet Adrien's, "I'll be on my way." she stated curtly as she began to walk down the hallway Adrien had traversed just a moment before. Adrien turned his attention towards the door as her footsteps began to fade.

"Oh! Adrien!"

He turned towards Alya one last time before she rounded the corner.

"I'm sure she would be really happy to see you right now!"

Adrien allowed himself a grim smile before turning to face the door once more. His hesitation grew as he reached out for the handle-but he pushed back his anxieties and opened the door all the same.

The room he now found himself in was equally as sterile as the hallway, with the exception being an incongruous display of flowers on the table in the corner. To the right of this table was a bed, and slumbering within was the room's occupant and Adrien's goal.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

The young girl was in bad shape. Broken bones, contusions, bruised ribs, and a concussion were the cause of this according to the official hospital report. Adrien had heard from some of his classmates that she would come in and out of consciousness for hours at a time. The fluctuation of her condition puzzled the nurses and doctors. They claimed it was like a miracle being cut short. As if miracles had anything to do with this place.

Her shiny hair and smooth skin had lost their vibrancy. Adrien wouldn't have been able to fault a stranger for not knowing just how peppy and energetic the girl could be. This wasn't the Marinette that had lectured Chat Noir or made cupcakes with him. This wasn't the girl that had helped him battle Evillustrator or stood up to Chloe. The girl in front of him was a shadow. A small, fragile facsimile of the person Adrien remembered.

For the first time Adrien processed just how much shorter she was than him-how much less she must have weighed than him. Adrien knew that if the akuma had gotten a direct hit on him it would've been serious even with the powers of his suit. He couldn't begin to imagine how much damage Marinette had taken. But he could hear it. He could hear the dull sound of the impact, the creaking of her bones, the shattering of the glass.

Every. Sordid. Detail.

And why wouldn't hear?

He was there, after all.

It was Chat Noir's fault.

It was his fault.

Tears pricked at Adrien's eyes as his breath became ragged. She had told him to protect himself. She had told him to value his own safety. She had told him not to sacrifice himself for others.

What a bunch of bullshit.

Adrien was the one with the Miraculous, one of Paris' heroes! He should've been able to do something! If Marinette could've been spared somehow then it was his responsibility to make that happen.

"WHAT THE HELL'S THE POINT OF PROTECTING MYSELF IF YOU GET HURT INSTEAD?!"

"I wonder…what's the tone of this scene supposed to be?"

Adrien whipped around at the sound of the voice. He had thought himself to be the only conscious person there…but clearly he was wrong. The person standing behind him was short and androgynous with baggy clothing and a bowl cut. Adrien had never seen this person before in his life-and hadn't an inkling as to why they were here.

"Most characterize cats as more solemn and melancholy as dogs, but I think you're taking your method acting a bit far."

"What?!" Okay…what the hell was going on?

"Normal people tend to view superheroes as strong and infallible. I wonder how they'd feel at the sight of you-sitting here and wallowing over a teenage girl."

"Who said anything about superheroes?"

"You can spare me the act. One of the key premises at work is that Adrien Agreste is Chat Noir. It's simple really. You take an oppressed character and give them and outlet with which they may express themselves. It practically writes itself."

"What the hell are you-?!"

"If you think about it a bit harder it all falls into place. Many of the things that people value contradict each other. Competence and position are important traits for many people-but they can get a bit boring. Spontaneity, humor, improvisation…these are also desirable things to have. Combine both into one person and you could certainly write a story or two."

"…"

"You don't have to take my word for it if you're not so inclined. It's not like I have feelings or anything. I'm just viewing it as if I was one of the masses."

"The masses?"

"Yes. Your character is appealing to them. Combine Adrien and Chat and you have everything interesting. It doesn't matter that you both come off as a little flat."

This wasn't good. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't something to take lightly.

"Plagg! Claws-!"

"That won't do." The new arrival snapped their fingers and Adrien's ring disappeared.

"What!"

"I didn't come here for a fight or anything of the sort." The person wagged their finger. "The purpose of this scene is for dialogue, not action."

"What did you do with my ring?! Where is it?!"

"It's not anywhere right now. Don't worry. It'll be returned to you in a few paragraphs."

"You…" Adrien snarled. "Are you the reason why Ladybug's magic didn't work?"

The figure giggled before flashing a wide smile. It was a taunt-an implication that it knew but wouldn't tell. "What do you think?"

Bastard!

"I haven't been able to get into contact with Ladybug for the past few days either…do you have something to do with that?"

The figure ran a hand through its hair in a lackadaisical manner and chuckled. "The explanation for her absence may surprise you."

The wailing of sirens in the distance distracted Adrien from formulating a reply.

"Unfortunately for you I don't count as a typical akuma. It looks like your old nemesis finally figured out he can manifest one besides me. But don't worry, I gave you your ring back!"

Adrien felt a pressure on his finger and looked down. The Chat Noir ring was back with Plagg sitting on top of it, looking dazed and confused as to what had happened to him. Adrien turned his attention back to the figure only to discover that it was no longer there. As the sirens grew louder he looked at Marinette one last time before exiting the cold hospital room.

He couldn't afford to fail again.


End file.
